{"id":515817,"date":"2026-09-11T14:38:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T14:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/markandremartel.com\/accept-first-offer-property-what-should-you-do\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T14:47:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T14:47:27","slug":"accept-first-offer-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markandremartel.com\/en\/accept-first-offer-property\/","title":{"rendered":"Accept first offer property: what should you do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s one of the most stressful moments in the selling process: you receive an offer, often within the first few days of listing, and you have to decide what to do. Should you accept first offer property you&#8217;ve received, reject it, or counter? The answer is never automatic, and depends on much more than the price alone.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 16 years as a broker in Montreal&#8217;s Southwest, I&#8217;ve seen sellers regret accepting too quickly, and others regret turning down a great offer while hoping for better. Here&#8217;s how to evaluate an offer properly, without relying on gut feeling alone. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why price alone isn&#8217;t enough to decide<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The price shown on an offer is only one piece of the puzzle. Other factors can make a big difference in the deal&#8217;s real value: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Conditions attached to the offer: financing, inspection, the buyer&#8217;s need to sell their own property first<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The deposit offered, which often reflects how serious the buyer is<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The proposed closing date, which needs to fit your own timeline<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The number and nature of conditional clauses, which can delay or derail the transaction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An offer that&#8217;s slightly lower but comes with fewer conditions can often be worth more, in practice, than a higher offer loaded with risky clauses.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When it makes sense to accept an offer quickly<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are situations where accepting quickly is the right call:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The offer meets or exceeds the asking price, with few conditions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The market in your neighbourhood shows limited demand for that type of property<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The buyer is already pre-approved for financing, reducing the risk of the deal falling through<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The proposed closing date fits your situation perfectly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an active market like Griffintown or Verdun, a strong first offer that comes in quickly often reflects a motivated buyer who has done their homework.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When it&#8217;s better to negotiate or wait<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, a few signals suggest it may be worth countering or waiting:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The offer is significantly below asking, without a clear justification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Several major conditional clauses give the buyer an easy way out<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You receive the offer within the first 24 to 48 hours of listing, a sign that other interested buyers haven&#8217;t had time to visit yet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The market in your area shows strong demand for comparable properties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<div><h3 style=\"font-size:inherit; font-weight:bold; margin:0; padding:0;\"> Handling multiple offers<\/h3> If several offers come in at once, the situation changes completely. At that point it becomes possible to push for the best terms from each buyer, a strategy that requires strong local market knowledge to execute well without scaring off serious buyers. <\/div>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The broker&#8217;s role in this decision<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Evaluating an offer means objectively comparing price, conditions, and market context, a difficult exercise to do alone in the middle of the emotional process of selling. A broker who knows your area well can: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Compare the offer against recent comparable sales<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flag risky clauses before you sign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Negotiate terms without damaging the relationship with the buyer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Help you keep an objective perspective during an often emotionally charged moment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re still preparing your sale, I also wrote a complete <a href=\"https:\/\/markandremartel.com\/en\/selling-your-property-in-the-southwest-of-montreal\/\">guide to the selling process<\/a> and an article on <a href=\"https:\/\/markandremartel.com\/en\/property-value-southwest-montreal\/\">evaluating your property<\/a>, to help you get ready before you even receive a first offer.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about purchase offers<\/h2>\n\n<div><h3 style=\"font-size:inherit; font-weight:bold; margin:0; padding:0;\"> Can I counter a first offer?<\/h3>Yes, it&#8217;s common and often a good practice if the initial offer doesn&#8217;t quite match your expectations, whether on price, conditions, or closing date.<\/div>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<div><h3 style=\"font-size:inherit; font-weight:bold; margin:0; padding:0;\"> How much time do I have to respond to an offer?<\/h3>The deadline is usually specified in the offer itself, often between 24 and 72 hours. You can request an extension if needed. <\/div>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<div><h3 style=\"font-size:inherit; font-weight:bold; margin:0; padding:0;\"> Is an offer with no financing condition always better?<\/h3>Not necessarily. You need to make sure the buyer can actually close without financing, otherwise the absence of that condition can be a risk rather than an advantage. <\/div>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Received an offer and not sure how to respond?<br\/><\/strong>Contact me today, I can review your offer with you and advise on the best path forward.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/markandremartel.com\/en\/your-broker-for-todays-market\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/markandremartel.com\/en\/your-broker-for-todays-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YOUR BROKER FOR TODAY&#8217;S MARKET<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s one of the most stressful moments in the selling process: you receive an offer, often within the first few days of listing, and you have to decide what to do. Should you accept first offer property you&#8217;ve received, reject it, or counter? The answer is never automatic, and depends on much more than the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-515817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-greenprint-guides","category-your-home"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Accept first offer property: what should you do?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Should you accept first offer property received? 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